“One has confidence in an experienced man,” said this gentleman, in a confidential way, to the electors, when he met them singly or by twos and threes.  “If the earl had put up a man of greater parliamentary experience, he might have had a chance to oust Mr. Fortescue, but his picking up this quill-driver, who has spent his life behind a bank-counter, and offering him to the burghs, is really an insult to the constituency.  Mr. Fortescue is no orator—­there is enough of us in the House to speak, Heaven knows—­there is only too much talk about nothing; but Mr. Fortescue’s vote was never given wrong—­never once did he forsake his colours!  Don’t look to the speeches—­look to the division list, and there you will see that you can trust your member.  As for this Hogarth, there is not a single thing that he has done that inspires confidence, even with his own party.  He is far too Radical even for the earl.  I cannot imagine how that old fox has been so misled as to take him up—­probably for a consideration.  Look at those allotments he has made over or given away to his labourers—­the most dangerous innovation that could possibly be made in such a country as this.  When the non-propertied classes see such things, they fancy they should all share in the spoil.  This is how Socialism is to come in upon us.  These levelling and no doubt godless views prepare the way for such revolutions as we have seen with so much horror across the Channel.  Old Cross Hall was a sceptic of the worst kind, and picked up his views of religion and politics in France, and this new man could not rest till he too went to France to improve his mind in the same way.  These cottages he has built on his estate, no doubt to increase his popularity, and perhaps at Ladykirk they may go down, but in Swinton and Freeburgh people see things differently, and even Plainstanes and Auldbiggin like no such new fangled notions put into working people’s heads.  The idea of compelling proprietors to build such palaces for their tenants’ labourers, when the labourers themselves do not ask for them, and do not care for them when they get them!—­and I hear that Hogarth says they should all build houses just like his.  Mere clap-trap to win political influence—­for his own people break the windows, and take no care of their fine new houses.  I am sure property is burdened heavily enough without this absurd crotchet for additional spoliation.  Old Cross Hall was crazy enough to leave him a lot of money as well as the estate; he certainly might have left the money to the poor girls he had brought up like his daughters, and not have left them to starve, and to be a burden on the country; and young Cross Hall can see no better way of spending it than in throwing it away for the chance of this seat—­but he has no chance.  The bank-clerk’s hoards will be somewhat diminished before all his expenses are paid.  We need take no trouble—­indeed, Mr. Fortescue might walk the course.”

But, in spite of all this careless talk, Mr. Fortescue, and Mr. Toutwell too, did take a great deal of trouble, and employed every possible means to secure the certain majority of thirty which they spoke of.  The greatest hope they had was in a split between the new man and the earl’s party, and Mr. Fortescue’s agents managed to make the most of every little point in dispute.